THE BOOK of CRISIS MANAGEMENT A Guide to Preparing for, Mitigating During, and Recovering After Crises Volume 10 36873 Crisis Guidebook Cover Design.indd 1 4/28/20 10:59 AM THE BOOK OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT VOL. 10 Published by PRNEWS Press • prnewsonline.com 2 The Book of Crisis Management, Vol. 10 © PRNEWS The New Normal Previous iterations of this book have referenced the certainty ISSN 1546-0193 of crisis, yet here we are in the midst of a global pandemic that has left no industry untouched. As we begin to adjust to the For article reprints or site license pricing, contact Shana Murik at new normal in the age of COVID-19—both personally and [email protected]. professionally—we have recognized that there are some crises that are seemingly impossible for which to prepare. Editorial Director, Erika Bradbury [email protected] Editor, Seth Arenstein Most, if not all, businesses have had to pivot their operations, [email protected] some more successfully than others. While some industries may Senior Content Manager, Sophie Maerowitz [email protected] never quite rebound to their pre-COVID levels, how individual Content Manager, Nicole Schuman [email protected] organizations reacted in the face of this crisis will be a strong Event Content Manager, Mark Renfree indicator of how they come out of this on the other side. [email protected] Graphic Designer, Yelena Shamis [email protected] This COVID-19 Special Edition—Crisis Management: A Senior Marketing Manager, Shana Murik [email protected] Guide to Preparing for, Mitigating During and Recovering Marketing Manager, Megan Sigg [email protected] After Crises has been updated with articles that discuss the Publisher, Tom Larranaga importance of developing a robust, yet flexible, crisis plan, and [email protected] SVP, Marketing Group, Dan Hanover preparing your team for a truly unforeseen crisis. It covers Divisional President, Kerry Smith responding to media inquiries about employees testing positive Chief Financial Officer, James Fogle Chief Operating Officer, Heather Farley for the novel coronavirus; communicating internally to keep President & CEO, Don Pazour staff motivated in particularly challenging times; and utilizing a multitude of channels to communicate flexibly to internal and external stakeholders. We’d like to thank the contributors to this guidebook for sharing their insights and learnings, and wish you all the best. Stay well, 36942 The PRNEWS Editorial Team © PRNEWS The Book of Crisis Management, Vol. 10 3 Table of Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................ 3 Board of Contributors ............................................................................................... 212 Chapter 1—The Crisis Plan ......................................................................................... 8 How Visual Mapping Prepares Teams for the Crisis No One Saw Coming ......................................9 By Peter V. Stanton How to Plan for Every Crisis ..................................................................................................................14 By Ned Barnett Rapid Response to Tragedy: Anticipate Needs and Put People First.................................................18 By Christopher R. Turnbull Survive Any Crisis by Identifying Roles, Stakeholders and More .....................................................20 By Jock Breitwieser SPAR: Make Your Crisis Communication Team Ready to Respond in 4 Steps ...............................27 By Dianne Anderson Why Simple, Approved Messaging Is Critical During a Crisis .........................................................29 By Kevin Stickney Speed + Strategy Create Crisis Communications Success ..................................................................33 By Scott Rainone Rapid-Response Tactics for When Your Brand Gets Negative News Coverage ..............................36 By Seth Arenstein How to Use a Content Plan During a Crisis .........................................................................................38 By Taral Patel How to Build a Flameproof Crisis Team That Can Handle Any Eventuality ..................................40 By PRNEWS Editors Detect, Direct, Deflect: Prepare Your Brand for the Possibility of a Fake News Attack ..................41 By Kristina Libby Digital Crisis Plans That Reposition a Brand for Success ...................................................................43 By Darius Fisher Reputations at Risk: Steps to Take When ‘Recall Fatigue’ Sets In ......................................................46 By Mike Good Navigating Crisis Communications During Unprecedented Times .................................................49 By Power Digital Marketing Team Crisis Communications Post-COVID-19: The Landscape Changed; the Principles Did Not .......52 By: Becca Cooper and Benjamin Thiele-Long Responding to Incidents That Aren’t Yet, But Might Become, Crises ...............................................54 By Seth Arenstein 4 The Book of Crisis Management, Vol. 10 © PRNEWS Chapter 2—Internal Communications ...................................................................... 57 Building Resiliency Through Employee Crisis Communications Strategies ...................................58 By: Deborah Hileman The Must-Haves for Your Executive Crisis Communication Procedures .........................................60 By Liz Liberman 5 Steps to Protect Brands From Employees’ Controversial Politics ...................................................62 By Pia Singh Best Practices for Managing Internal Stakeholders in a Crisis ...........................................................64 By Michelle Jamieson COVID-19: 7 Lessons for Executives in the Midst of a Global Crisis ...............................................67 By Mark Pasetsky Keeping Staff Informed, Motivated and Coming to Work During a Crisis .....................................69 By Julie L. Sheedy Mistaking M&A Mountains for Molehills: Communicating Through Complexity ........................72 By Mandy Arnold Helping PR Pros and Agencies Cope With Mental Health Well-Being During a Crisis ................75 By Nicole Schuman Communicating During a Global Crisis: Start at Home .....................................................................78 By Greg Abel Communicating Layoffs During The COVID-19 Pandemic ..............................................................80 By Erika Bradbury Chapter 3—Executive and Spokesperson Training ................................................. 82 Attending to Your CEO’s Achilles’ Heel(s): A Guide By Type ............................................................83 By Andrew Gilman Training the Untrainable: Tips for Prepping the C-suite ....................................................................85 By Allison Kahn Why, and How, to Play Offense as a Company Spokesperson ............................................................88 By T.J. Winick The 5 Cs: A Path to Delivering Reputation-Protecting Messages in Crisis .....................................91 By Jeff Leshay Words and Phrases to Avoid in Crisis Communication Messages ...................................................94 By Melony Shemberger How to Turn a Rogue Spokesperson Into Your Greatest Asset ..........................................................96 By Casey Delperdang The Art of the Apology ............................................................................................................................99 By John Roderick How to Respond When the Media Runs Away With Your Crisis ...................................................102 By Mike Rosen © PRNEWS The Book of Crisis Management, Vol. 10 5 Chapter 4—Media Relations .................................................................................... 107 Looking Inward: Why Crisis PR Faces a Crisis ..................................................................................108 By Eric Dezenhall Build Relationships with Media Before—Not During—a Crisis .....................................................110 By Carreen Winters Quality of Communication Trumps Quantity During a Crisis .......................................................112 By Karina Frayter Pitching the Media During a Crisis .....................................................................................................114 By Annie Pace Scranton Rewriting the Rules: How to Get Real (and Be Effective) in a Crisis ..............................................116 By Jennifer Hellman The Crisis Paradox: Advocate or Apologize? ......................................................................................118 By: Joshua J. Smith Responding to Media Inquiries about Employees Testing Positive for COVID-19 ......................122 By Aidan Ryan MLB Learns to Get in Front of the Story During Astros’ Cheating Scandal .................................124 By Nicole Schuman and Seth Arenstein Finding Your Brand Voice During the COVID-19 Pandemic .........................................................127 By Rick Lyke and Beth Egan Communication Proves Critical to Orange County Corrections Pandemic Response ................129 By Tracy Zampaglione Chapter 5—Social Media ......................................................................................... 131 3 Tiers of a Social Media Crisis (and How to Manage Each One of Them) ...................................132 By